The times were dangerous. Almost all of the writings of the Young Hegelians were considered subversive. Even biblical scholarship was viewed as threatening when orthodox religious beliefs were considered essential to state security. One often hears jokes about how Marx wrote about money but was unable to make any himself. But this was a problem for all the Young Hegelians. Their writings led to persecution by the political, religious and academic authorities. They were dismissed from jobs, prohibited from teaching, jailed and exiled. When they moved from academic jobs to journalism their writings were censored, banned and their papers shut down. It was a precarious existence and this was reflected in the style of their writing.

They were responding to events and to each other. They were trying to remake the world which forever seemed on the verge of another revolution. The next one always promising to get it right, or at least better than the last one. The period was know as the Vormärz, literally “Before March” and refers to the time before the Vienna uprising of March 1848 that started a series of revolts and uprisings throughout Europe. The failure of the 1848 revolutions brought and end to an optimistic era that began with the July Revolution of 1830 in France. As a result of the turbulent times, their writing was done in a hurry. Sometimes they were on the run, but there was also urgency to what they were doing. Karl Löwith, in his From Hegel to Nietzsche, described them as “manifestos, programs, and theses, but never anything whole, important in itself” and that “in spite of their inflammatory tone, they leave an impression of insipidity.” This was a time to act and react; there was no time for careful scholarship.

This style is reflected in the enthusiastic young Feuerbach’s Letter To Hegel, 22 November 1828, the earliest of the Young Hegelian’s writings and can still to be seen two decades later in the Communist Manifesto of 1848, perhaps their final statement published as the revolutions broke out.

Despite their sometimes-heated philosophical confrontations it was a very congenial group. The went to each others weddings, loaned each other money (when they had some), visited each other in exile, wrote for each others journals and newspapers and collaborated on writing projects. In fact, there was so much collaboration that it is often hard to tell who—and how many—wrote a given text. This was complicated by the fact that may of their writings have to be published anonymously or under pseudonyms.

The Four PhasesThe writings of the Hegelians fall into roughly four periods. In the first those known as the “Old Hegelians” or later the “Right Hegelians” collected, published and proselytized about the writings and lectures of Hegel. They were important for codifying and preserving the legacy of Hegel but they did not advance his philosophy so their impact was limited and their writings, beyond the collections of Hegel’s lectures, are rarely read and have not been translated.

The second phase was primarily interested in Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion. It began with David Friedrich Strauss’s The Life of Jesus Critically Examined, an 800 page scholarly work on the Gospels and an unlikely book that took the world by storm. The third phase moved beyond religious and theological issues to more practical issues of politics, economics and social life. The fourth and final phase is dominated by Max Stirner’s book The Ego and His Own and the critical reaction and debate that followed.

“I’ve often had the unfeminine desire to throw myself into the wild chaos of battle and die. Why didn’t I turn out to be a man! I have no feeling for feminine virtues, for a woman’s happiness. Only that which is wild, great, shining appeals to me. There is an unfortunate but unalterable imbalance in my soul; and it will and must remain so, since I am a woman and have desires like a man without a man’s strength. That’s why I’m so vacillating and so out of harmony with myself….”

Karoline von Günderrode (1780–1806), Letter to Gunda von Brentano

For those interested in Romanticism or German Idealism there is an important new book coming out in November. Karoline von Günderrode’s philosophically significant Poetic Fragments (1805) are being published by SUNY Press. These “Fragments” provide new insight into Early German Romanticism and Idealism, the reception of Indian, Persian, and Islamic thought in Europe and provide an interesting counterpoint to the ideas of Goethe, Novalis and Schelling.

This is the first volume of Günderrode’s work in English, and will help unearth this rich, complex, and innovative writer for American readers. The text is bilingual German-English and includes Anna C. Ezekiel’s introduction that highlights the philosophical significance of the texts, demonstrating their radical and original consideration of the nature of the universe, death, religion, power, and gender roles.

I’m a little tired of being told my only choices are a neo-liberal hawk who supports war and the TPP or the end of civilization. Sure, vote for the lesser evil but also be aware that democracy is not a reality show to watch on TV. There is more to democracy than watching TV and voting for president. Real democracy is participatory. Voting for president is depressing, particularly this year.

“Today as the Democrats go into battle against Trump, they find that their rallying cry has lost its magic. Hillary is discovering how difficult it is to win an election without hope. It transforms a vote for Hillary from mildly distasteful to almost totally futile.”

I live in a swing state. That means I have little choice but to vote for Clinton. But that is not the end, or even the main focus of my political activity. I hope others will start to think the same.

There is much more that can be, should be done. I don’t want to people to be despaired about their choices and give up. I want them to realize they are being cheated and see what options are available to do something about it.

User engagement refers to the quality of the user experience. It emphasizes the aspects of the user interaction with the app, particularly length and frequency of use. In order for an app to serve its ultimate purpose it is important that the app be actively used, the users be engaged and attentive while using, and that users are motivated to return and continue using the app. A user engagement strategy provides the approach that will be used to keep users motivated to use the application as well as the mechanisms for evaluating their success.

An approach to user engagement should be focused on six basic engagement principles:

Experience customization

Motivational Rewards & Gamification

Notifications

Goal Progression

Habit formation

Excellence on fundamentals

Experience customizationOne of the best ways to keep users engaged in an app is to provide an experience that is simple, relevant and motivating. Through customizing the experience to targeted segments you are better able to achieve that optimal, yet simple, experience for each user. Data collected through patient and caregiver reported outcomes, surveys, passive monitoring and user settings and goals provide the basis for segmentation into groups based on needs, level of understanding, ability and motivation. Targeted information and activities can then be delivered to the user to match their particular needs, level of comfort and ability making them more likely to interact and feel good about their interaction.

Motivational RewardsPeople experience three kinds of behavior motivation: Extrinsic, Intrinsic and Habitual. We utilize all three to achieve a greater level of engagement across the spectrum of potential users.

Extrinsic motivation is provided by external rewards. Examples would include physical rewards like monetary incentives or prizes as well as intangible rewards like badges, leaderboards or other forms of positive reinforcement.

Intrinsic motivations are internal, for example a person’s goals and desires that drive or motivate them to do things.

Habits require little motivation, as they are automatic. A person performs these actions without thinking and with little effort. Habits are powerful in that they require effort to prevent or change the action.

Generally, intrinsic motivators are stronger when it comes to sustaining behavior change however extrinsic motivators are easier to initiate. Our engagement strategy therefore starts with extrinsic motivators and gradually transitions people toward intrinsic motivators with the intention of using those to develop habits.

GamificationGamification can be one type of extrinsic motivator. It is made up of a variety of techniques including: targets, challenges, feedback, reinforcement and progress indicators—can be particularly useful in helping a user over the activation threshold, that point where they are considering, but not quite achieving, a certain action. They provide low-effort trigger points that signal and motivate the user to overcome inertia and take action. It is important that the progress treatment visualization (e.g., the well-being index) take full advantage of these powerful extrinsic motivators.

NotificationsNotifications and reminders are another form of extrinsic motivation. Timely and relevant communication can be used to keep people engaged or bring back users who may have forgotten or neglected the app. Tactical push notifications, such as schedules and reminders, can be used as triggers to remind users of events and bring them back into app usage. These notifications are typically concise and focused so they are unobtrusive. Users can opt-in or opt-out so they are always in control of what messaging they see.

Goal ProgressionAs user gain some familiarity with the app we gradually transition them from external to intrinsic motivators. This keeps them inspired and active, particularly during the time when their motivation from extrinsic motivators naturally dips. One of the strongest intrinsic motivators is goal setting. This helps to create interest and activity on the basis of what already motivates them and provides them with a sense of progress over a longer time frame.

To best take advantage of the benefits of goal setting users should be able to set their own personal goals. These goals should be broken down into smaller and more achievable parts. Goals should be focused, and not too difficult or time consuming. As users complete each step toward their goal they receive positive feedback which gradually builds a growing sense of progress and confidence.

Each individual goal will be unique and defined in the way that it is best understood and motivating to the user. But most of these unique goals follow general patterns that can be used to create templates that will help users create manageable steps and develop the skills needed to reach them.

Habit formationThe development and repetition of skills achieved through extrinsic motivators like gamification and intrinsic motivators like goal setting will create patterns of thought and action that will grow to be reflexive over time. The formation of these habits will help users to continue to practice the behaviors which lead to better outcomes even if they experience periods of where they are not directly interacting with the app.

Excellence on fundamentalsMore important than any other aspect is the actual execution. Usability issues can undermine even the most well thought out program. The app itself needs to be relevant, compelling, accessible and straightforward. Content needs to pertinent and useful. Instructions need to be brief and clear. The interface must be designed for clarity, simplicity and to avoid clutter and confusion.

To achieve excellence on fundamentals it is necessary to listen to users. Feedback mechanisms should be available within the app for users to comment or respond. Iterative testing of features highlights any difficulties users may have. User interviews follow up on objective usability measures to provide context and a more complete understanding of user feelings and motivation. A regular cadence of updates will continue to improve upon user performance, acceptance and commitment.

Engagement MetricsObjective measurement is important in understanding and evaluating the success of a user engagement strategy. There are several key metrics that should be used for tracking and evaluating user engagement:

Monthly Active user/Daily active user-number of people actively using the app per month or per day

Session length-how much time users are spending in the app per session. The longer the sessions the more engaged

Time in app-how long a user was in the app over period of time

Session interval-the time between sessions showing how frequently users interact with the app

Retention rate-the percentage of users who return to the app

Satisfaction Rating & Net Promoter Score-survey rating of user satisfaction and willingness to recommend the app to a friend

Screen Flow-demonstrates how users move through the app. Not a metric per se but provides a deeper picture of user behavior and is particularly helpful in targeting problem areas

In order for the app to serve its ultimate purpose it is important that it be actively used, the users be engaged and attentive while using, and that users are motivated to return and continue using the app. A user engagement strategy as outlined above, provides an approach that will be used to keep users motivated to use the application as well as the mechanisms for evaluating their success.

I was recently part of a panel discussion at UXPA Boston Annual Conference on Designing for Behavior Change. This proved to be a topic of interest as the room was packed, and there were a number of questions at the end. Most people wanted to know how they could use behavior change models to help them find solutions to particular problems they were working on. One of the more interesting questions was about how to apply behavior change techniques to improve HEDIS scores, which I felt deserved a longer and more in-depth response.

HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) is a set of standardized performance measures compiled by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). There are more than 80 measures that are related to many significant public health issues such as cancer, heart disease, smoking, asthma, and diabetes. Because so many plans collect standardized HEDIS data, it is possible to accurately compare performance across different organizations. As the most widely used standard for comparing health plans, HEDIS is a high priority for most health insurance companies. With clearly defined objectives and measurable criteria, as well as addressing important healthcare issues, HEDIS measures can serve as the focused goals that direct behavior change programs.

At the conference we discussed a variety of models for behavior change. They ranged from the historical to the recent, from the complex to the simple. Because of its simplicity, Fisher’s IMB model is a great model to start with. It was specifically created to improve health-related behaviors, particularly medication adherence. If used well, it can produce useful insights and results. Because it is easy for people to grasp it can be used frequently and applied to a variety of problems.

According to J. D. Fisher’s IMB model there are three primary constructs that influence behavior change: Information, Motivation, and Behavior Skills. Information includes knowledge and ideas about the behavior, it may be correct or incorrect, and may facilitate or impede the desired behavior. Motivation is both personal and social, and includes any drivers of behavior including perceived benefits, potential side effects, and desire to comply with others. Behavior skills include a person’s objective ability to perform the task, as well as subjective factors, like confidence.

There are many ways that one could use the IMB model to inform a program of behavior change. Probably the easiest way to get started would be to begin with the information construct. There are many problems that can be solved by information alone. Providing information is often the first thing we do when trying to change behavior.

There are roughly thirty immunizations and screenings included in the latest HEDIS measures. Almost all of these are simple and can be accomplished in a short outpatient visit. Most of them are not controversial and people rarely object to them. One possible information strategy might include instructional pamphlets informing plan members about the screenings, how and when to get them, and any details around cost or coverage. In addition, members could be notified when it is time for these screenings through a secure messaging system. These simple and low cost information strategies will quite often result in the desired behavior. But what happens with this doesn’t work?

When you look at the results of your information-oriented screening campaign you may find that providing information and reminders worked well for breast cancer screening and flu vaccinations, but had little effect on childhood immunization status. If this measure is important to your organization it might be time to investigate motivation. The motivation construct requires a bit more time and money than information construct. It will require some research—usually surveys or interviews with the target population—and some analysis to figure out their motivations and the best approaches to facilitate behavior change.

If you look into the motivations that drive people to avoid vaccinating their children you may find a variety of reasons, as these researchers did. They found four primary motivations: Calculation, Complacency, Convenience, and Confidence. Each of these four motivations suggested different ways in which they might best be approached.

Some of the most engaged parents are motivated by Calculation. They do not have a strong pre-existing bias and will spend a great deal of time researching the benefits and risks of vaccination. They attempt to avoid the risks, by not vaccinating their own children, while relying on the benefit of low infection rates resulting from general overall vaccination. Appeals to social motives as well as information about the actual risks and benefits can best target this group.

Complacency happens when a person does not feel threatened by the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases and so their motivation for action is low. Adjusting the information intervention to specifically address risk perception and myth debunking, combined with mandatory requirements, or opt-in defaults could increase the vaccination rate with this group.

Convenience is a problem for those without access to care, usually resulting from the lack of nearby facilities or ability to pay for services. This group will be harder to reach and will require a combination of structural and support interventions. Incentives will be particularly useful for influencing this group.

Confidence is lacking in those who don’t trust the effectiveness or safety of the vaccines, the system and professionals that provide them, and/or the policy makers that recommend them. These people have frequently been exposed to a great deal of misinformation and they are the hardest to reach. Most efforts will be viewed as coercion and only serve to increase their reluctance.

The combination of information and motivation, when used creatively, will take you a long way toward improving most HEDIS issues. However, there are complex and difficult problems that cannot be resolved through information and motivation alone. The IMB model provides us with an additional tool, Behavior skills, to use to effect behavior change.

The HEDIS score for high blood pressure measures “the percentage of adults 18–85 years of age who had a diagnosis of hypertension and whose blood pressure was adequately controlled (<140/90) during the measurement year.” There are a lot of factors that can influence blood pressure. Some people will have rapid success with simple interventions. Others will have to experiment with combinations of diet, exercise, medication and other lifestyle adjustments to achieve only modest results. Many of these interventions will require changing lifelong habits. Controlling high blood pressure could require a series of IMB steps: Information to provide an understanding of risks and potential treatments, Motivation to provide the impetus to change, and Behavior skills training to build the competency and proficiency for healthy actions.

These are just a couple of examples of how you can use a behavior change model to stimulate creative approaches improving HEDIS scores. HEDIS scores are useful because they provide a clear focus and foundation for a behavior change campaign. The IMB model is simple and easy to use, but as mentioned above, there are many other models, or combination of models, that could be used as well. It is best to start with a model you are familiar with. If you find it doesn’t inspire new directions and creative solutions, switch to another model that gives you better results. The possibilities are nearly endless.

What is going on here? Hegel is well known as one of the major figures of western philosophy and he was widely influential. Yet all to often he is the butt of jokes and derision, even from fellow philosophers.

The problemPart of the problem is the prose. German has a grammar that can maintain clarity through long and complex sentence structures. This clarity is often lost in English translation. Hegel also uses a highly technical vocabulary and frequently uses words in ways that differ from their typical usage. Contemporary philosophers use the work “logic” to refer to a formal axiomatic system of relations unrelated to their content. In Hegel, “logic” is the rational, structural core of all of reality.

A bigger problem is the lack of context. Hegel was a systematic philosopher. He created a system. His books and lectures explain or elaborate parts of that system. Yet none of these books or lectures provides an overview of the entire system. A person is expected to know, on their own, where they are in the system and how the particular book or lecture relates to the whole.

The names of the books are not much help. We have the Greater Logic, the Lesser Logic, the Lectures on Logic, the Science of Logic, and the Encyclopedia Logic. There is the Phenomenology of Spirit and the Philosophy of Spirit, including a chapter called the “Phenomenology of Spirit.” Not to mention the Philosophy of History and the History of Philosophy.

It can be a daunting task. As Allen Speight describes “One’s choice as first-time student of Hegel seems often, then, to be determined either as a resort to the misleadingly formulaic or as a gesture towards giving up on the effort altogether in favor of caricature.”

The solutionThe individual books and lectures make much more sense when you see how they all fit together. When you understand how the entire system is constructed it is much easier to see how the arguments and conclusions of one book provide the presuppositions and foundation for the next one. Questions and puzzles from a particular book receive clarification and elaboration in the supporting lectures. There are still obstacles and difficulties. The prose is dense, the structure is elaborate and the project is enormous. But with a roadmap it is much easier to follow the overall direction and when you are able to stand back and view the entire project one forgets the thorny and difficult sentences and starts to see a rather sublime and magnificent philosophy.

Two things will help us:

The Roadmap: A visual outline of Hegel’s entire system

1) The Roadmap. An outline of Hegel’s entire philosophical project which will hopefully help to situate our reading in the context of the overall system. Download here.

2) Stephen Houlgate’sThe Hegel Reader. This anthology includes key excerpts from all the major works systematically arranged in the order of Hegel’s overall argument.

These two taken together should help to get a more comprehensive picture of Hegel and to see and understand his philosophy in a new, and hopefully less confusing, light.

Readings:Stephen Houlgate’sThe Hegel Reader

For the September meeting we will be reading Parts 1-3 (pp. 1-250) which includes Hegel’s Early Writings, Phenomenology of Spirit and Science of Logic as well as Houlgate’s excellent introduction. These writings provide the introduction and foundational principles of Hegel’s philosophical system.

For the October meeting we will be reading Parts 4-6 (pp. 251-527) which includes some of the most interesting parts of Hegel’s system including the Philosophy of Nature, Subjective Spirit, Objective Spirit and Absolute Spirit. We will be reading excerpts from two of Hegel’s most frequently read works, The Philosophy of Right and The Philosophy of History, as well as the culmination of his entire system, the writings on Absolute Spirit encompassing Art, Religion and Philosophy.